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Argentinia under Preident Milei - Coggle Diagram
Argentinia under Preident Milei
Who is he
Elected in Novemeber 2023, Javier Millie is the current, unique president of Argentiania. He is often placed in the same the camp of politicans as Trump and Bollasnaro (former president of Brazil) as a right wing or far-right populist [
1
].
But Millie is a more unique and intresting character then it would appear if he is simply described in those terms.
Milei started life out as an economist, with his early education with in the subject often left-wing and keynesian, instead of the now strongly monterist policies of today [
2
]. As an economist he worked across the private sector as a banker, think tanker, professor and finaical advisor (controverisally to a member of tge Argentine junta) [
2
].
This is not what made Melei famous, instead in the 2010s he began to become a feature as a economics pundit on Argentian TV, this would hardly be notewothy if not for the style of interview. These interviews were often over top and involved denoucing of the status quo [
2
].
It was from this bases that Melie launched his presidental campaign.
Context of what is happening in Argentia?
What he ran on
Unlike in UK politics where at each general elections the parties will publish manifestos, containing their general policies and the palnned direction of the country, Melei (and the other candidates) did not publish manifestos.
This does make it harder to create an assmeent of direct policies of a candidate it is not impossible with candidates still having to create policy platforms to win votes.
Economics
In short
free market
.
Milei has run on a strongly liberterian presidental platform of the economy.
There have been radical plans to cut the size of the state witha reducation in government spending of 15% of GDP [
3
].
This will include implenting the idea in which 'everything that can be [put] into the hands of the private sector, will be in the hands of the private sector' [
4
].
This will be supported by the plan to end all public works projects [
4
].
His economic platform contains other radical plans to deal with Argentians sustain inflation problem.
These include a plan to end the central bank as a means of preventing the bank prinitng more money [
4
] and therefore helping in batling inflation.
The seccod of these reforms is the plan/hope to dollerise the economy meaning the end of the Argentine peso (an admittingly weak currency) and replacing it with the US dollar [
4
].
The state
In short
cut it
.
Like the economy, president Milei went into the election with ambitious plans to reduce the size of the governemnt.
This was outlinned in one of the most famous moments in his campagin (at least for politics nerds like me) when he outlined the vast number of government minstries that he would get rid of
https://youtu.be/kUYPNsTpO4Y
.
All those this suggests the abolition of many ministries some of those to be removed are, in reality, being merged into a new ministry of Human Capital which will encompass education, health, social development and labour [
3
].
Social policy
In short
conservative
.
The social policies of the campaign were a relativly conservative set of policies, although there was also a strong tinge of libertian social views within them.
He pledged to loosen gun laws and abolish abortion durring his campaign [4], a strong indicator to socially consertvive goverence.
There were also calls for police to repress crime and return to its actual function, with a heavier focus on drug crime (a long time problem for South America) [3].
But, he also supported the legalistion of human organ sales, a somewhat bizare policy pledge and one that departs from some of his more conserviative views [4].
What going on now
However, a lack of legisltures makes hard for the president to push through many of his radical reforms and until mid term elections, Argentian maybe faced with a period of electoral gridlock.
Following his presidential victory Melei was still faced with obstacles to his radical reforms, first and formost political obstacles.
His coalition is small outside the presidency with it holding no regional govenors or mayors in a federal system, only 7 senators out of 72 and only 38 deputies out of 257 [1].
However, with the control of presidency he is still able to acomplish something.
One of the first things that he did was to sign a massive executive order that aimed to introduce radical reforms to economics and social policy [
5
].
The policies seeks to remove economic distortions and free up the natural processes of supply and demand within the economy.
It also contains radical privatisation policies to sell off major state owned companies included the state owned oil company YPF, if these privatistions are conpleted this will mark a stubstianal reducetion in the size of the state and an expanded role for the free market.
However, his lag of legislatures is making this hard to pass as well [6].
He has followed through on pledges to cut thr size of the government and cabinet by halving it to just 9 ministries [
6
], this compares with the UK's 21 minsiters.
Milie has faced problems with the legistures, both of whom are less supportive of the radical reforms he is trying to pass [6][
7
].
Some of his reforms have had to be tabled until the midterms in 2025 due to the presidents opposition to watering down his reforms [7].
There have been economic and budgetary success with the governemnt running the first surplass in 12 years due to budget cuts [7].
The IMF has also be bouyed by the reforms pushed through by the president, this is benefical for a president who's country owes over $40bn in debt to them [6].